2006 NHL ENTRY DRAFTRank 3: #20 Ranking Comments:An aggressive power forward, Zachupeyko is a newcomer to the ratings and closes out the top 20 list. The young forward sees the ice well, capable of making a nice feed, as well as drive to the net and attempt to score himself. He works hard and possesses an above average top speed. Zachupeyko enjoyed a strong performance at the U18 WJC, being one of the few Russian players to deliver an even performance throughout the tournament. 2007 NHL ENTRY DRAFTRank 1: #25 Rank 2: #30 Rank 3: #30

Talent Analysis:

Scout 1: blessed with above-average wheels...uses a fluid stride...a solid skater with an okay acceleration and footspeed...decent balance and lower-body strength...possesses adequately softer hands...decent puckhandling skills...corrals difficult passes adequately well...an okay factor in one-on-one situations...adequate creativity but tends to be individualistic on many shifts...makes hard passes which find their way through traffic...decent vision and positional play...unleashes a hard accurate snap and slap shot...okay variety of shots...solid finishing skills...can play an all-round game...a tenacious player who doesn't shy away from the physical contact, but his physical assertiveness is inconsistent...can finish his checks and throw open-ice hits...digs for the pucks in the corners...sacrifices his body to block the shots...drives the net adequately hard and is willing to play dump-and-chase...doesn't perform as a two-way forward but is adequately responsible in his own zone...spots his man quickly but could upgrade on defensive positioning...a decent asset to the power play units...capable of playing as center as well.
Scout 2: Sees the ice well...capable of making a nice feed, as well as work the puck into the zone himself...doesn’t look for the shortest pass and is capable of making precise passes at longer distances...fights hard at the boards and in traffic...doesn’t hesitate to crash the net...constantly works hard on every shift...slightly above average technically with the puck...scores a lot of his goals due to hard work on rebounds similarly to Nikolai Kulemin.

Back In Russia:

Sergei Zachupeiko was born in Orsk, Russia. He is the product of the Yuzhni Ural (South Urals) hockey school in located in Orsk. The young forward signed a contract with Salavat Yulayev at 16 just prior to the 2004-05 season and has spent the past two campaigns skating for the Ufa based Super League club’s farm team. Once he joined Salavat Yulayev, Zachupeiko caught the eye of U18 Team Russia’s coaching staff and has consistently been in the squad’s lineup during most of the 2005-06 U18 tournaments, including the U18 World Junior Championships.

NHL Outlook:

Sergei Zachupeiko is eligible for the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. The young forward is currently being coached by a long timer junior squad head coach Rafael Ishmatov, who moved from coaching the primary club to the farm team for health reasons. Zachupeiko is a relative late comer onto the draft radar, but he impresses with his work ethic and his willingness to fight hard for the puck. While yet to make a Super League debut, in a lot of ways he has surpassed his older teammate Dmitri Zyuzin, who has already made his Super League debut with Salavat Yulayev. If the NHL signs a transfer deal with the Russian Hockey governing body, Zachupeyko would be well worth a late round selection. Unfortunately, if no agreement is reached and considering the change in rules regarding the rights to European players, most clubs will likely forego his selection and wait and see what will become of the young forward in the coming couple of years before finally taking a shot at him.